Sanford Herald publisher to leave post in June

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Sanford (N.C.) Herald Publisher Bill Horner III, the namesake of the newspaper's founder who had his first byline in the pages 39 years ago, will leave the position in June.

Horner, 52, who became publisher upon his father's retirement and the sale of the newspaper to Paxton Media Group just over 18 years ago, told The Herald's staff he was stepping down as publisher and editor.

It will mark the first time in 86 years that a member of his family isn't leading the newspaper.

"I'm not exactly calling it a retirement," he said. "It's more like a sabbatical. I really feel like now is a good time to move to the next phase of my life. I started working at The Herald during the summers when I was 13 years old, and I've been here full time for almost 31 years. I've loved every minute of it but I'm ready for a different challenge."

Horner said he and his wife, Lee Ann, hope to eventually move to the North Carolina mountains, but plan to stay in Sanford "for the next couple of years or so, maybe a bit longer."

He cited the transitions his children are facing this summer as part of the reason to leave the newspaper his grandfather, W.E. Horner Sr., founded in 1930, and for which his father, Bill Horner Jr., served as publisher as well. Bill and Lee Ann Horner's older son, Zachary, is getting married this summer and their son Addison is graduating from Elon University in May. The couple also has a daughter, Karis, who's a college student.

In the meantime, Horner said he was going to use the next year to pursue several writing projects, to travel and visit family and friends in Kansas – where he grew up – and in Nebraska and Texas. He also said he and his wife were planning to prepare for a mission trip to Ukraine in the fall with members of his church, Turner's Chapel, where he serves as deacon.

In August 1985, Horner joined The Herald following his graduation from the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas and internships at The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, the Marysville (Kan.) Advocate and The Raleigh Times. His first job at the family business was working in the newspaper's circulation department. He also worked in the pressroom, the business office, the advertising department and the newsroom over a period of several years before being named assistant general manager under his late father, who passed away 11 years ago this week, and then general manger before being named publisher in April 1998.

"I've had the good fortune to work with some very skilled journalists and many wonderful people over the years," Horner said. "I'll miss the deadline-driven nature of what we do in this business, but I'll miss the good people the most – some of our old-timers like (former employees) R.V. Hight and Don Bailey and people here now I've worked with for many years, like Circulation Manager Jeff Ayers and business office staff member Tammy Pipkin, people who have become such good friends to me."

Horner added he's leaving the newspaper with a strong staff in both the news and advertising departments, with veteran leadership in both areas. The Herald has been awarded the "General Excellence" prize in its division in the annual N.C. Press Association's annual news and editorial contest five out of the last six years, including four consecutive first-place finishes and a third-place finish this year. During his time in newspapers, Horner has also won enterprise, editorial and column writing awards from the Kansas Press Association and the N.C. Press Association.

In the industry, he served as president of the North Carolina Press Association, the trade association for the state's newspapers, and North Carolina Press Services, its for-profit advertising placement subsidiary, from 2002-2003. He also served four years as treasurer for the NCPA and served on the board of directors for the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communications from 1998-2002. Three years ago, he was one of two English-speaking journalists invited to Shanghai, China, for the first of what has become a series of China-U.S. Community Media conferences.

Horner serves now as a board member of the N.C. Press Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on First Amendment issues.

In Lee County, Horner served two terms as president of the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce and was the organization's member of the year in 1997. He was a president and "Rotarian of the Year" of the Rotary Club of Sanford and represented North Carolina and the club on a citizen diplomat exchange to the former Soviet Union in 1988, traveling there for two weeks with fellow Rotarian M.W. "Red" Harriss Jr. and 18 other North Carolinians.

He currently serves as chairman of the advisory council of The Salvation Army of Lee County and is a board member for the Sanford Area Growth Alliance. He also serves on the board of directors of the Lee County Education Foundation, BB&T Bank and the Lee County Literacy Council, among others, and was treasurer for the Reading Is Fundamental Program of Lee County for almost 30 years.

His past leadership service also includes serving as secretary and trustee for The O'Neal School in Southern Pines and treasurer and director for the former Montessori School of Sanford.

Horner said his last day would be in early June, and that he expected his replacement to be named by then.

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